Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-08-25
UNDER THE GROUND.
A VISIT TO kENTUCKY'S WONDER,
MAMMOTH CAVE.
A Place No Snake Has Ever Visited,
Nor MusquitO; Nor Is There Sunshine
There - But All These Are Plentiful
Near at Hand.

Nor Musquito; Nor Is There Sunshine
There - But All These Are Plentiful
Near at Hand.
Especial Correspondence
MAMMOTH CAVE, KY, Aug. 9-What a
| pity it is this summer resort is not few hum
dred miles nearer the center of population
There is no summer resort like it in all the
land. The country Is marvelously beautiful,
though dry and hot. The leaves have wilted
under the suns fierce rays, and every foot
fall stirs up small cloud Of fine warm dust
The mercury rises to the limit and induces
feeling Of discomfort which even the fa-
nous julep here compounded in all its fra
| grant glory fails to relieve. The grass is
| green under the many trees surround
ing the picturesque old hotel, and the
verandas are swept by gentle breezes But
mosquitoes abound, and there are rattle
snakes in the grass. The guests Of the old inn
abhor both the insect and the reptile, and
early in the morning seek an avenue Of es-
cape from the many evils which beset them.
In this matchleSs summer resort there is q
spot where no musquito ever buzzed, where
no snake was ever Seen or heard, where no
sun ever shone or summer heat penetrated.
It Is down In the cave. Immediately after
breakfast the guests assemble at one end Of
the long hotel The men are attired in their
customary garments, but the women have
put on odd booking bloomer gowns which
make walking and climbing less difficult for
them than when in skirts Each guest seizes
an oil hanging lamp made of tin and wire,
wrh metal guard to protect the hand from
the fame. All form III line behind a smart
looking colored man, "William the guide"
and the journey in search of comfort and
wonder is begun.
Out through rose garden down a sinuous
path into deep and picturesque ravine the
procession winds. presently halting before
black and grewsome hole 1t is the entrance
to Mammoth cave. Already the visitors
feel the cooling influence Of this famous curl
csity. Chills, originating in vague appre-
hensiveness, chase each other up and down
scores of spinal columns. A woman rebels
against her husbands authority, steps out Of
the line, and declares that she wouldn't 60
into that hole for all the world.n He, unfeel-
ing, eager brute that he is hires q colored
man to escort her back to the hotel, and re-
sumes his place in the line. A young man from
Boston inquiries of the guide If it is all dark
down in the cave, and amid the tittering Of
his neighbors declares that he never would
have come step had he supposed the cave
was totally devoid of daylight. But now the
lamps have been lighted, the colored man
cries out "All ready-march!" and the jour
ney into the bowels Of the earth begins
1t is noble vestibule which nature has
placed at the entrance to this wonderful cav
ern. Amid tulip trees, grape vines, NAPLES
and butternuts, fringing ferns and green
moses is the gateway to this underground
palace Here tree roots have twisted them
selves into fantastic shapes, and from the
rocks overhead a tiny cascade, fed by springs,
falls continually into the gorge below. The
descent is no sooner begun than the visitors
feel a current Of cool air rushing out to greet
them. This is the caves greeting-a pleasant
forerunner of the depths within. Down,
down walk the explorers, their feet finding
firm stepping places in the rocky stairway,
and the long line of moving lamps making a
pleasing picture for those who remain behind.
Soon a straight, low gallery is reached,
where the walls are no more than ten
feet apart, and the roof so low
that tall men find it necessary to stoop. Here
the guide halts his wards, and as the visitors
one by one struggle up they are surprised to
find before them heavy gate, securely fas-
tened by big paddock. This is the inner
gate to the underground palace, the place
where the tolls are collected and the visiting
parties finally organized. Here each visitor
desiring to take the ''long oute" within must
pay 50 to the agent of the caves owners,
while those who wish to take only the ''short
route" are let off with So. These prelimina-
ries being arranged, the big gate is opened,
and, with a chorus of merry cries, the ex-
plorers are about to spring forward to begin
their Journey in earnest, when another halt
is called.
"Oh, oh, my lamp is out!" screams a timid
little woman. Others make the same COM
plant. And no wonder, for from the depths
within rushes wind as cool, comparatively.
as a Manitoba blizzard in December and
strong enough to blow ones hat from his
head. All summer long this cool wind blows
out The mouth of the cave Why! Because
the temperature without is from 50 to 100,
while that within is always at SO. In winter
the wind blows inwardly the temperature
without the cave being then lower than
within.
Exhilarated by the cooling draught the ex-
c1,rsionistS rush forward at a rapid pace, ut
tering many merry cries, and feeling indi-
vidually Gnd collectively as If they could
eclipse a race horse in speed or outdo noun
tain goat in rock climbing 1t is singular
fact that this Incompatible summer spot not
only offers its votaries an atmosphere of un-
failing GOODNESS, but an air 50 charged with
oxygen that its inhalation produces an un-
mistakably exhilarating effect. Chemical
processes are ever at work within the cavern,
generating oxygen and throwing it upon the
air. OF course this expands the volume of
the atmosphere, and in part accounts for the
powerful out current which visitors first en-
counter at the big gate. This oxygen is SO
potential that under its beneficent influence